A good year for Lena Dunham fans, most of all those who crave films about a girl’s unusual, tempestuous coming-of-age. With the excellent Sharp Stick (about which we recently spoke to Dunham) still rolling into theaters, a fall release looms for Catherine Called Birdy, her adaptation of Karen Cushman’s beloved children’s novel—suggesting a tamer project than her latest, but that’s a) not saying much and b) hardly suggesting a change of pace.
Being that Catherine concerns a girl (in England circa 1290) who must fight off suitors her parents sell her to for money, the material seems suited to Dunham’s interest in gender roles and autonomy. But (just as importantly) the preview looks plainly funny, with the added bonus that Amazon’s money is clearly well-geared towards creating a period piece.
With Catherine opening in select release on September 23 and hitting Prime October 7, watch the preview and poster below for the film starring Bella Ramsey, Lesley Sharp, Sophie Okonedo, Joe Alwyn, Isis Hainsworth, Dean-Charles Chapman, Paul Kaye, Billie Piper, and Andrew Scott:
The year? 1290. In the Medieval English village of Stonebridge, Lady Catherine (known as Birdy) is the youngest child of Lord Rollo and the Lady Aislinn. Her playground is Stonebridge Manor, a house that, like the family, has seen better days. Financially destitute and utterly greedy, Rollo sees his daughter as his path out of financial ruin by marrying her off to a wealthy man for money and land. But Birdy, like all the great teen heroines, is spirited, clever, and adventurous, and ready to put off any suitor that comes calling in increasingly ingenious ways. Her imagination, defiance, and deep belief in her own right to independence put her on a collision course with her parents. When the vilest suitor of all arrives, they are presented with the ultimate test of love for their daughter.
